Author Topic: Unusual Engineering - Solved! Monaco Trossi  (Read 1626 times)

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Offline Motorace

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Unusual Engineering - Solved! Monaco Trossi
« on: March 07, 2007, 05:58:26 PM »
Yes, it is a car and not a wingless airplane...
« Last Edit: January 07, 2021, 05:36:34 AM by Oguerrerob »
Honi soit qui mal y pense

Offline MG

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Re: Unusual Engineering, but not clever enough
« Reply #1 on: March 07, 2007, 08:18:07 PM »
Well, they certainly solved the problem of the exhaust overheating the passenger compartment. Looks like a 4 cylinder something or other as motive power and it also looks like it could be an aircraft engine.

How am I doing so far?   
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Offline Otto Puzzell

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Re: Unusual Engineering, but not clever enough
« Reply #2 on: March 08, 2007, 04:25:35 AM »
I know! I know!

Darn, it's a rookie puzzle...
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Offline Motorace

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Re: Unusual Engineering, but not clever enough
« Reply #3 on: March 09, 2007, 02:54:30 PM »
Well, they certainly solved the problem of the exhaust overheating the passenger compartment. Looks like a 4 cylinder something or other as motive power and it also looks like it could be an aircraft engine.

How am I doing so far?   

Not too good if you guesstimated only 4 cylinders.  Did you try counting the visible spark plugs and estimating how many unseen ones might be missing?

Besides, radial engines always have an ODD NUMBER of cylinders (3, 5, 7, 9, etc) except in some extremely unusual cases of two-stroke radial engines...

It may look like an aircraft engine, but this engine was never used in any aircraft (and no, it's not missing a propellor).

Overheating turned out to be an insurmountable problem, but not for the driver.  The driver's biggest problem was the 75%/25% forward weight balance that caused horrendous understeering - even when oversized tires were tried on the front (I do not believe these are shown in this photo).
« Last Edit: March 09, 2007, 03:07:58 PM by Motorace »
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Offline MG

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Re: Unusual Engineering, but not clever enough
« Reply #4 on: March 09, 2007, 03:25:31 PM »
Did you try counting the visible spark plugs and estimating how many unseen ones might be missing?

Hey, just because I'm dumb doesn't mean I can't be stupid too!    :-[

Besides, I was smart enough to straighten out your fractured French!  And this is the thanks I get?    ::)
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Offline Jagman

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Re: Unusual Engineering, but not clever enough
« Reply #5 on: March 12, 2007, 01:32:14 PM »
Radial aircraft engine..........

Offline Motorace

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Re: Unusual Engineering, but not clever enough
« Reply #6 on: March 15, 2007, 12:02:36 AM »
Radial engines always have an ODD NUMBER of cylinders (3, 5, 7, 9, etc) except in some extremely unusual cases of two-stroke radial engines...

It may look like an aircraft engine, but this engine was never used in any aircraft (and no, it's not missing a propellor).



Additional hint:
This happens to be one of those extremely unusual cases of a Two-Stroke radial engine with an even number of cylinders.
« Last Edit: March 15, 2007, 12:06:34 AM by Motorace »
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Offline grantgray

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Re: Unusual Engineering, but not clever enough
« Reply #7 on: March 15, 2007, 02:59:58 AM »
Monaco Trossi

Offline Motorace

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Re: Unusual Engineering, but not clever enough
« Reply #8 on: March 19, 2007, 04:32:22 AM »
Way to go grantgrey!

For anyone interested in the oddness of this car - it had 16 cylinders - but only 8 spark plugs! - Google on the "Trossi-Monaco" to learn more about weird engineering attempts.
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Offline Otto Puzzell

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Re: Unusual Engineering - Solved! Monaco Trossi
« Reply #9 on: March 08, 2012, 04:10:14 AM »
Sans engine fairing
You wanna be the man, you gotta Name That Car!

Offline grobmotorix

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Re: Unusual Engineering - Solved! Monaco Trossi
« Reply #10 on: March 09, 2012, 04:42:14 PM »
another rare 1935 photo: